North Texas Daily

It was announced Thursday afternoon that former NBA All-Star and Dallas Maverick Josh Howard will be the first head coach of the UNT Dallas basketball program, which starts in the fall. Howard previously spent the last four seasons coaching at Piedmont International University, a Christian school that competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association. In his four seasons, he compiled a 49-49 record.

“When I was coaching back in North Carolina, it was difficult for me to be away from [family],” Howard told the Dallas Morning News. “Just in that aspect of being around them and show them that dad’s here, and give them that leadership and motivation they need when I’m home, it’s just going to be awesome. I’m looking forward to it.”

UNT Dallas will compete in the Sooner Conference in its inception at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level.

Howard grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attending Wake Forrest and was later drafted No. 29 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft to the Dallas Mavericks. He spent his first seven seasons of his career in Dallas, making the playoffs each of those years and an All-Star selection in 2007.

The next three years Howard moved around three different teams, including the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves. He also joined the San Antonio Spurs in 2013 and later was optioned to the D-League affiliate Austin Toros.

Howard earned his first coaching job in the summer of 2016 with Piedmont International after volunteering basketball instruction and workouts at the school.

“I wasn’t like I was actually literally looking for a coaching job,” Howard said. “It kind of just fell in my lap. I just took it. Playing professional basketball all those years, I never thought that I would want to be a head coach. I just knew that I was really in tune with the game.”

Courtesy NBA